Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Adult Summer Reading


 
Week 5!  16 people joined the fun this week, bringing the total up to 134 people.  Of those, 44 read 136 books during this week, bringing the total of books read to 611 for the summer!  It's not too late to join the program.  Sign up at the circulation desk.  We still have signing prizes available, as well.

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Book reviews from participants July 27: 

Too much money by Dominick Dunne:  Dunnecan still dish with the best of them...a shame to lose such a gifted writer.  he never lost his touch in portraying the rich and famous with all their fallacies and foibles.

Seven Up by Janet Evanovich:  Love her books!  Wonderful author-would highly recommend.

Michigan Rivers less Paddled by Doc Fletcher:  Stories and photos of different rivers, towns, and bars and pubs, in Michigan.

Big Fat Lies by Glenn Gaesser:  Fat is not  necessarily unhealthy?  Skinny isn't necessarily healthy?  You'll have to read it to find out why.

The Associate by John Grisham:  Loved it.

String to short to be saved by Donald Hall:  A grandson remembers his summers spent on the farm with his grandparents.  An excellent boook for those who enjoy looking back at the values and struggles of yester-years.

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah:  A great mix of history and fiction.  A story about the relationship between two sisters and a mother and how their lives define each other.

Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris:  I really liked, with exception of some of the confusing weirdness in the beginning.

Dalva by Jim Harrison:  For anyone wishing they were living in the American West-fascinating insights into the Sioux's "last stand"-Ghost Dance-family history and conventions, or lack of, in small towns-descriptions are poetic.  Makes you want to take a horse swimming.

The Woman lit by fireflies, Brown Dog, and Sunset Limited by Jim Harrison:  3 novellas-each exploring what compells people to follow what may seem to outsiders as implausible.  Ties of friendship, loyalty, both funny and moving.  Captures places and periods of our life time.

Dangerous Thing by Sarah Harrison:  Written from perspective of an unhappy husband.  The discovery of what people can't live with-private injuries/disclosures leading to suicide, murder, who's the "real" murderer vs. a mercy killing.

Pig Island by Mo Hayder:  Grand thrillers-surprise twists and turns.  A trip to religous fanaticsm and Scottish islands-strange but possible.

Prophecy by Elizabeth Haydon:  Transports the reader to a carefully created fantaasy.  Full of economic/political realities-with a gutsy, smart, but tender hearted heroine-beautiful "landscapes" one can see and feel.

Blues Lessons by Robert Hellenga:  Struggle to find one's own way-through family and community conventions-colorblind love-parental heartache and lost opportunities to care for those who love you-great history of the blues and growing apples.
My Favorite Midlife Crisis (Yet)



My Favorite Midlife Crisis (Yet)
By Devens, Toby
2006-09 - Sourcebooks Landmark
9781402207471 Check Our Catalog


What to do when you find out that your husband is in love with your interior decorator, Brad (or, A Midlife Crisis Checklist):
--Get divorced (this is a must!)
--Quickly discover a lifetime supply of humor
(this will also help with your children and your
mentally deteriorating father)
--Stop sulking, show a little spirit and start
a new life plan (also a must)
--Recruit your two very dear, newly single
friends to help you with it
--Have a romantic affair that blows your mind
--Don?t look back, and enjoy the ride!
?Wickedly funny and wonderfully poignant.?
-Elizabeth Ashtree, author of Into Thin Air
?Devens? novel is really about women successful in life, in friends and in their chosen profession, realizing what's really important as they reach middle age. Wonderful characters make this humorous and heartwarming tale a pleasure to read.?
-BOOKLIST
?A delicious concoction of delightful characters
for whom the best revenge is proving that a woman's middle years can be rich, ripe and wickedly funny.?
-Chassie West, Edgar and Anthony Awards Nominee, author of The Leigh Warren Mysteries
?An excellent read! Toby Devens weaves an intricate tale of lust, deceit, divorce and facelifts, as her unique protagonist navigates her way.?
-Ben Mezrich, NY Times Bestselling author of Busting Vegas
?Zing it on!?? Toby Devens has created three??warm and witty??women characters that I?d love to have as friends.?
-Rebecca York, USA Today Bestselling author of
Shadow of the Moon
This is Toby Devens? debut novel. Her poetry, short fiction and articles have appeared in Reader's Digest, Family Circle, McCall's and Parentsmagazine, among others. The inspiration for My Favorite Midlife Crisis (Yet) emerged from her most recent sojourn into singlehood. She currently lives in a Maryland suburb halfway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
…More


Too Much Money





Too Much Money
By Dunne, Dominick
2009-12 - Crown Publishing Group (NY)
9780609603871 Check Our Catalog


A satisfying, mischievous, and compulsively readable tale--Dunne's final work--"Too Much Money" is peppered with thinly veiled fictions that keep readers guessing about the real-world villains and intrigues that lie beneath its chapters. …More


My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding



My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding
By Elrod, P. N., Editor
2007-06 - Wheeler Publishing
9781597225281 Check Our Catalog


Werewolves, vampires, and Elvis populate this collection of all new and original supernatural wedding stories from such award-winning authors as Sherrilyn Kenyon, Charlaine Harris, L.A. Banks, and Jim Butcher. …More


Seven Up



Seven Up
By Evanovich, Janet
2001-07 - St. Martin's Press
9780312265847 Check Our Catalog


In this seventh Stephanie Plum adventure, the bounty hunter is dropped into a smorgasbord of murder, kidnapping, and extortion--a magnificent buffet of fast cars, fast men, and fast food. Stephanie's mind is on other matters, however, because she has two proposals to consider: vice cop Joe Morelli is proposing marriage and fellow bounty hunter Ranger is proposing a single perfect night. …More


Michigan Rivers Less Paddled: The Rivers, the Towns, the Taverns



Michigan Rivers Less Paddled: The Rivers, the Towns, the Taverns
By Fletcher, Doc
2009-02 - Arbutus Press
9781933926193 Check Our Catalog


Description of twenty-one rivers in Michigan to canoe or kayak. Each river is described with Doc Fletcher's own brand of humor. Michigan Rivers Less Paddled follows the previous year's publication of Weekend Canoeing in Michigan. …More


Cheerful Money: Me, My Family, and the Last Days of WASP Splendor



Cheerful Money: Me, My Family, and the Last Days of WASP Splendor
By Friend, Tad
2009-09 - Little Brown and Company
9780316003179 Check Our Catalog
BookPage Notable Title

As a young man, Friend noticed that his illustrious family tree was full of alcoholics, depressives, and reckless eccentrics. Part memoir, part family history, and part cultural study, "Cheerful Money" offers a captivating examination of the rise and fall of the American WASP world. …More


Big Fat Lies



Big Fat Lies
By Gaesser, Glenn A.
1996-08 - Fawcett Books
9780449909416 Check Our Catalog


Your doctor won't tell you. The media and fashion gurus certainly won't. And those in the weight-loss industry would be out of business if they told the truth: You can be overweight and still be fit and healthy. In Big Fat Lies, Dr. Glenn A. Gaesser reveals the truth about the relationship between body weight and health, exposing the myth that being fat is a life-threatening condition, using the latest medical research. Among the many amazing facts you will learn when you read this book are: there is no connection between fat-clogged arteries and obesity; overweight men and women who exercise regularly have a lower risk for premature death than thin men and women who do not exercise; body fat is beneficial, depending on its location, and can protect against heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer; for millions of people, weights above those recommended by the height-weight tables are actually better for health and longevity; weight fluctuation or yo-yo dieting may ultimately be fatal because of the damage it does to the vascular system; and dieting may be the reason for your weight gain. Dr. Gaesser gives you a whole new way of thinking about your body that helps you achieve your own natural weight for optimal health and fitness: the Twenty/Twenty Program for Metabolic Fitness. It's so easy, you need just two minutes a day to start it. And once you put the program completely into effect, it requires just an average of twenty minutes per day of light to moderate activity and a delicious, satisfying complex-carbohydrate eating plan that aims for an average of 20 percent fat. …More


The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own

Browse Inside



The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own
By Garcia, Nina
Illustrator Toledo, Ruben
2008-09 - Collins Living
9780061664618 Check Our Catalog


From "Project Runway's" Garcia comes a companion edition to the wildly popular "The Little Black Book of Style. The One Hundred" is a thoroughly researched list of the classic items every woman must own, from fashion and garments to lipsticks and perfumes. Full-color illustrations throughout. …More


U Is for Undertow



U Is for Undertow
By Grafton, Sue
2009-12 - Putnam Adult
9780399155970 Check Our Catalog
BookPage Notable Title

Through 20 excursions into the dark side of the human soul, Grafton has never written the same book twice. Once again, she breaks genre formulas, creating a twisting, complex, surprise-filled, and totally satisfying thriller. Kinsey Millhone agrees to help Michael Sutton locate a grave he discovered 21 years earlier, but as the investigation unfolds, Kinsey discovers Michael has an uneasy relationship with the truth. …More


Sherlock Holmes and the Thistle of Scotland



Sherlock Holmes and the Thistle of Scotland
By Greenwood, L. B.
2000-03 - Simon & Schuster
9780743205528 Check Our Catalog


…More


The Associate





The Associate
By Grisham, John
2009-01 - Doubleday Books
9780385517836 Check Our Catalog


For those who thought "The Firm" was suspenseful, wait until they meet "The Associate," the newest legal thriller from bestselling author Grisham. …More


Baby Names That Go Together: From Lily, Rose, and Violet to Finn and Fay - Sibling Names That Mix and Match in a Perfect Way



Baby Names That Go Together: From Lily, Rose, and Violet to Finn and Fay - Sibling Names That Mix and Match in a Perfect Way
By Groves, Eric, Sr.
2009-06 - Adams Media Corporation
9781605501383 Check Our Catalog


Lily and Rose--feminine names from the world of flowers
Jordan and Joseph--a strong pair of J names rich with religious meaning
Charles, Lucie, and Alexandre--a trio of timeless names from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens


Choosing the perfect name for a baby is hard enough; choosing complimentary names for multiples and siblings can prove even harder! This book presents more than 10,000 such names. This one-of-a-kind moniker manual provides parents with unique naming strategies and clever ideas for combinations, including name pairings inspired by: rhyme and meter, alliteration, great literature, music, religious beliefs, and more. With pronunciation guides, etymological information, and word meanings, this unique collection of baby names is all parents need to bless their babies with perfect names!
…More


String Too Short to Be Saved



String Too Short to Be Saved
By Hall, Donald
1994-09 - David R. Godine Publisher
9780879232825 Check Our Catalog


This is a collection of stories diverse in subject, but sutured together by the limitless affection the author holds for the land and the people of New England. Donald Hall tells about life on a small farm where, as a boy, he spent summers with his grandparents. Gradually the boy grows to be a young man, sees his grandparents aging, the farm become marginal, and finally, the cows sold and the barn abandoned. But these are more than nostalgic memories, for in the measured and tender prose of each episode are signs of the end of things - a childhood, perhaps a culture. In an Epilogue written for this edition, Donald Hall describes his return to the farm twenty-five years later, to live the rest of his life in the house of string. We take pleasure in bringing back into print this classic account of boyhood summers in old New England, with the addition of an Epilogue and an album of family snapshots. …More


The Penguin Classic Baby Name Book: 2,000 Names from the World's Great Literature



The Penguin Classic Baby Name Book: 2,000 Names from the World's Great Literature
By Hamlin, Grace
2001-07 - Penguin Books
9780141001524 Check Our Catalog


Presenting 2,000 baby names from the world's great literature, this reference features sidebars, mini essays about literary characters, and pointed quotations from the books themselves. …More


Winter Garden



Winter Garden
By Hannah, Kristin
2010-02 - St. Martin's Press
9780312364120 Check Our Catalog


Can a woman ever really know herself if she doesn't know her mother? From the author of "Firefly Lane" comes a powerful novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past. …More


Dead Until Dark



Dead Until Dark
By Harris, Charlaine
2004-01 - Wheeler Publishing
9780754069966 Check Our Catalog


For years, "New York Times" bestselling author Harris has delighted fans with her mystery series featuring small-town waitress-turned-paranormal sleuth Sookie Stackhouse. Now, she offers her first novel in the series, which is also the basis for the HBO series "True Blood." …More


Dalva



Dalva
By Harrison, Jim
1989-05 - Washington Square Press
9780671678173 Check Our Catalog


From her home on the California coast, Dalva hears the broad silence of the Nebraska prairie where she was born and longs for the son she gave up for adoption years before. Beautiful, fearless, tormented, at forty-five she has lived a life of lovers and adventures. Now, Dalva begins a journey that will take her back to the bosom of her family, to the half-Sioux lover of her youth, and to a pioneering great-grandfather whose journals recount the bloody annihilation of the Plains Indians. On the way, she discovers a story that stretches from East to West, from the Civil War to Wounded Knee and Vietnam -- and finds the balm to heal her wild and wounded soul. …More


The Woman Lit by Fireflies



The Woman Lit by Fireflies
By Harrison, Jim
Editor Rosenman, Jane
1991-10 - Pocket Books
9780671744526 Check Our Catalog


Harrison has garnered critical acclaim for masterpieces such as "Legends of the Fall, The Beast God Forgot to Invent," and, most recently, "Returning to Earth." Now, "The Woman Lit by Fireflies," one of his best-loved books, is available in a paperback edition. …More


White Witch, Black Curse

Browse Inside



White Witch, Black Curse
By Harrison, Kim
2009-02 - Eos
9780061138010 Check Our Catalog


The "New York Times"-bestselling author of "The Outlaw Demon Wails" returns to the sexy, supernatural adventures of Rachel Morgan. …More


A Dangerous Thing



A Dangerous Thing
By Harrison, Sarah
2003-02 - Severn House Publishers
9780727872128 Check Our Catalog


An atmospheric and powerful early manuscript from one of Britain's bestloved storytellers published for the first time by Severn House Academic Michael Bowater arrives in the small village of Ballacombe in Devon to recuperate from a near-breakdown precipitated by the suicide of one of his students, and problems in his marriage. Within days he finds himself caught up in the village's dark secrets: years before, a young girl disappeared, her body never found. A visiting journalist seems determined to resurrect the case, and reopen old wounds. Tormented by hallucinations and premonitions of violence, Bowater is reluctantly drawn into a disturbing web of intrigue and suspicion... …More


False Mermaid



False Mermaid
By Hart, Erin
2010-03 - Scribner Book Company
9781416563761 Check Our Catalog


Hart's chilling new suspense novel brilliantly combines forensics, archaeology, and history with Irish myth and mystery. …More


House of Secrets





House of Secrets
By Hawke, Richard
2010-05 - Random House
9781400066087 Check Our Catalog


From the rarefied halls of Washington to the briny boardwalks of Brighton Beach, Hawke pulls back the curtain in this pulse-pounding thriller to reveal what is taking place inside the hearts and minds of the powerful people we read about every day in the news. …More


Pig Island



Pig Island
By Hayder, Mo
2007-03 - Atlantic Monthly Press
9780871139528 Check Our Catalog


BookPage Notable Title
The acclaimed author of The Devil of Nanking returns with a riveting, disturbing thriller of religious fanatics, hoax debunkers, and the dark side of belief. Startling and uncompromising, Pig Island confirms Hayder as a talented and compelling thriller writer.
…More


Prophecy



Prophecy
By Haydon, Elizabeth
2000-07 - Tor Classics
9780312867515 Check Our Catalog


Rhapsody, a Singer of great talent; Achmed, an assassin with unearthly talents; and Grunthor, the giant of jolly disposition and deadly skill with weapons--these three may be their world's only hope. But their time is running short and they must find their elusive enemy before his darkness consumes them all. …More


Blues Lessons



Blues Lessons
By Hellenga, Robert
2002-01 - Scribner Book Company
9780743225335 Check Our Catalog


For readers of Kent Haruf's "Plainsong" and Wally Lamb's "She's Come Undone, " a beautifully rendered love story about the fragility of happiness and the struggle to find one's calling in life. In "Blues Lessons, " he explores the intricate relationship between a young man and a young woman who struggle to find themselves. …More

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